


Until I Find You Again

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Pet Sounds [6]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-18
Updated: 2012-12-18
Packaged: 2017-11-21 10:05:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/596450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a nice place and just because it wasn’t “adventurous” didn’t mean it couldn’t be home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until I Find You Again

“I can't believe this is real. Every time I close my eyes and open them I expect things to be different.”

“I'm a little flustered myself.” He cuddled closer to her. “I thought I lost you.”

“I thought you were dead. I went back, day after day after day but you weren't there. I had to give up…I had to move on.”

“How did you come so far?” he asked.

“I don’t even know.” Emily sighed. “I wanted out of Europe.”

“Why didn’t you come to Prague?” Clyde asked. “We made a promise.”

“It was all a fantasy Clyde. Losing you, being alone again; that was my reality. I didn’t want to go all the way there and you weren't there either. I couldn’t take another heartache.”

“I escaped the animal hospital as soon as I could. I was actually surprised that someone rescued me and gave a damn. When I was well enough I got the first train to the Czech Republic. I searched all over for you until I was picked up in a sweep.”

“Leave it to you for the Ambassador to come in adopt you.” Emily smiled.

“It didn’t happen that way. I broke out of the place…some dogs helped me if you can believe it. Not that they weren't working toward their own agenda. I wandered into the Embassy and they almost shot me. The Ambassador stopped them and took a shine to me. What can I say; when I need to be I'm lovable.”

“And now you're here.”

“There are worse places to be.” Clyde said. “I can't think of any at the moment. We’re on a fleece kitty bed. It’s nearly treasonous.”

“Its comfortable, shut up. I've slept on the wet ground behind dumpsters. I'm not going to piss on the fleece kitty bed.”

“I have a feeling soon enough she’ll buy you one of those fake diamond things for your neck and call you her baby. It’s going to be dreadful.”

“Clyde…”

“So when do we get out of here?” he asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh c'mon, there's more fun to be had. I have no intention of being a fuckin pampered house cat Emily.”

“You seemed to be well on your way before I got here.” She replied.

“I was just planning my escape. It’s not always easy; you have to know your surroundings. They keep this place pretty locked down but I've been looking for weaknesses in the fortress. That’s going to be easy with another pair of eyes.”

“I don’t want to go.” 

“What?”

“I said I don’t want to go.”

She moved out of his arms and off the kitty bed. Looking at him, Emily couldn’t help the sad smile. He’d saved her, more than once, and she’d saved him too. They were all the other had until life tore them apart. Now they were back together and living somewhere quite comfortable. 

It made no sense to her that he wanted to go back out there in the cold, cruel world. While living high on the hog might not always be easy, there were other ways to have adventures. She didn’t want to dumpster dive anymore and have to fight for a meal or a place to lay her head. She didn’t want to worry that everyday would be her last because of a moving car or a cruel human. She didn’t want to sleep with one eye open, or even both on some nights.

“I can't stay.” Clyde sat up too but remained on the kitty bed. It was lame but comfortable. “You know Europe is my home. You know the world is my home. I want to share it with you…come with me.”

“I've seen enough of it.”

“So you want the humdrum suburban life?” 

“I don’t know.” Emily shrugged. “But I don’t want to feel like I'm on the run anymore. I've always wanted a family, a life. I know I’ll never have kittens of my own but…I can still have loved ones.”

“You said you loved me.”

“If you ever doubt that then you're not the Clyde I used to know.” She said.

“But there's another.”

“Clyde…”

“You’ve developed feelings for that old blue cat haven’t you? He’s sweet, in that ‘end of the line’ kind of way.”

“Don’t, OK? You don’t know Gideon and shouldn’t speak ill of him. He was there for me when so few others were.”

“You owe him nothing.” Clyde waved away the notion.

“So do I owe you? Should I go with you because of our history; our adventures?”

“You should go with me because you belong with me, Emily. Your heart and my heart are intertwined.”

“Maybe I've changed.” She started to walk away. 

Emily looked out of the side doors at the neighborhood. It was night and nothing was going on. She heard some barking and carrying on earlier…probably the dogs barking at the moon in the park. It was a nice place and just because it wasn’t “adventurous” didn’t mean it couldn’t be home. Emily had one before and it didn’t work out. This time could be different.

“I don’t want to leave you behind.” Clyde said. “I swore to myself if I ever found you then I wouldn’t let you go.”

“You might have done that because you thought you'd never find me.”

“Maybe I didn’t but I know what was in my heart.”

“I'm not going.” She turned to look at him. “And I can't beg you to stay.”

“Even if I stayed who's to say that you'd be with me.”

“I'm here right now.” Emily said.

“You're looking out the window…you're thinking about him.”

“Clyde, don’t be ridiculous. Gideon is a friend. I haven’t had one of those in a long time and I won't let you make me feel guilty about it. If you just got to know him you'd see.”

“I don’t want to take what's yours Emily. As you said, you haven’t had a friend in a long time. You can keep him.”

“I don’t want to fight.”

“I'm going to go soon.” He said. “One day they’ll let me out and I won't come back. Take some time to think about it and consider coming with me. I’ll rest here for a while; it’s a nice place to come home to. But I'm a wanderer. My heart is on trains and in boats and on cobblestone streets. I won't survive on manicured lawns and overpriced swing sets. This life is not for everyone.”

“I won't disagree with you there.” Emily shook her head. “I didn’t think it was for me either but I've come to realize I like feeling safe. I like getting to know the other cats. Its not boring, it’s just different.”

“Alright. You should get some sleep, its getting late. Here, you can take the kitty bed since you love it so much.”

“I don’t love it.” she turned up her nose.

“You love it…you sleep so soundly on it. You deserve a soft place to fall. I do regret I could never give you that.”

“You gave me so much more Clyde. I mean that.”

As Emily returned to the kitty bed, Clyde climbed out. They met halfway and he nuzzled close. She purred and put her paw up on the side of his face. The way he smelled, the way he felt when they were close; Emily didn’t know anyone more intimately than Clyde. It had been so long and when they were apart he was all she could think about. 

Now here he was, better than a dream, and she still felt an ocean between them. It didn’t feel the same, like it was but it wasn’t. Too much time had gone by and too much had happened. Emily couldn’t put her finger on everything, couldn’t make a list, but it was true. She wasn’t the same cat who traipsed through the streets of Europe. Good, bad, or a little of both it was still the truth.

“You're right,” she settled into the warm fleece with a content sigh. “I love the silly fleece kitty bed.”

“I know.” He managed a smile.

“I'm sorry I broke my promise.”

“Don’t apologize to me. Just rest and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Promise me you won't go in the middle of the night.” Emily was falling asleep again.

“I haven’t figured out a way to do that yet. So no, I won't go while you rest. The next time we part I will have a chance to say goodbye.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight my love.”

She closed her eyes and Clyde walked away. Now he was looking out of the window. It wasn’t that he hated this place. The humans were decent enough and the surroundings quite lovely. It just wasn’t home.

He was a cat of the world...home was wherever he laid his head. Clyde loved traveling; jumping trains, running through forests, and thwarting border patrol agents. It was dangerous and thrilling and always kept him on his paws. Living that life alone was bearable but not appealing. He wanted a Mrs. Easter, so to speak, to share in all of his adventures. 

There had been a fair share of beautiful cats over the years, Paris was always particularly enjoyable, but Emily Prentiss was the only one who challenged and kept up with him on every level. The idea that she wanted to be an upper middle class housecat was laughable. There had to be more to it than that. It had to be the old Russian Blue’s doing. Maybe Clyde would get to know him and keep a close eye on the competition. 

He’d never seen Emily care for another cat before. She surely wasn’t heartless. If anything she had too much heart and had to hide it so deep that sometimes she couldn’t even find it. So someone other than him being able to touch her there was intriguing. This Gideon was no ordinary cat that’s for sure. 

Clyde didn’t want to leave there without Emily. He would if he had to but would rather find a way to convince her to stay by his side. They'd been apart for too long. There were times when he knew she was gone; felt it in his soul. 

It almost killed him. Making his way back to her had to be fate. Clyde wouldn’t let someone tear them apart again. But how could he fix it when that someone was the very cat he wanted to be with?

***


End file.
